Antipilfering device for a glass windowed automobile door

ABSTRACT

AN ANTIPILFERING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES WHICH, WHEN IN PLACE, PREVENTS THE UNLOCKING OF THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE EXCEPT BY USE OF THE KEY, THE DEVICE PREVENTING THE RAISING OF THE LOCK BUTTON BY MAKING ACCESS TO IT IMPOSSIBLE, UNTIL THE WINDOW GLASS IS LOWERED FAR ENOUGH TO FREE THE DEVICE FOR REMOVAL.

Se t. 20,. 1971 A. o. REICHENBACH 3, 1

I ANTIPILFERING DEVICE FOR A GLASS WINDOWED AUTOMOBILE DOOR Filed m 18, 1970 Arthun D. Roc'chenbach United States Patent Oflice Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,606,421 ANTIPILFERING DEVICE FOR A GLASS WINDOWED AUTOMOBILE DOOR Arthur D. Reichenbach, 900 SW. 12th St., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33315 Filed May 18, 1070, Ser. No. 38,037 Int. Cl. E05c 21/00; G05g 5/00 US. Cl. 292-1 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Pilfering automobiles has become a major problem, and the locks and latches for automobile doors have been modified over the years in the effort to provide against the possibility of unauthorized opening of an automobile door. While the newer latch and lock means are harder for a thief to open than earlier ones, it is still possible for a pilferer to pry a window glass down far enough to insert a wire by which the lock button can be lifted to unlock the door. The door, then, can be opened easily from the outside.

The object of the present invention is to increase the safety of automobiles against pilfering. This object is obtained generally by preventing access to the button by which the door lock may be released. This is done by use of a tubular cover for the button that is held in place by the window glass and door frame.

The means by which the objects of the invention are I obtained are described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the device in place;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device in place;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a modification; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second modification.

The simplest form of the invention is seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 where a tubular element 1, preferably of aluminum tubing, of a length approximately the height of the glass G of the door on which the device is to be installed, is provided with a hook element having a longitudinal slot 3 in its long end through which securing screws 4 extend to hold the hook 2 in an adjusted position on tube 1. The tube 1 is placed over door lock button 5 shown in dotted lines and the hook is placed in the groove in the door frame that receives the top edge of the glass window, and the window is raised to contact the hook.

It will be understood, then, that even if the window can be pried down a little so that a tool which, in the absence of the device, could be used to raise'the knob or button 5, it is impossible to pry the glass down far enough to remove the hook from the window groove or from the top edge of the window.

FIG. 3 shows a somewhat different exemplification of the device in that the adjustability of its length is by using telescoping tubes 1' and 1", instead of the single tube 1, and using screws 4, 4 extending through a slot 3' in tube 1" to secure the device in its adjusted position. The hook 2, in this case, is secured on the tubular element 1 by rivets 6, '6. Any other suitable securement in lieu of rivets 6, 6 may be used, such as by welding.

FIG. 4 shows yet another variation of the device where a lower element 7, which may be of plastic, is provided with a recess 8 in its lower end to receive the button 5. The upper end of element 7 is threaded to receive threaded rod 9 to which a hook 2' is secured at its upper end. A lock nut 10 is preferably provided to prevent inadvertent mal-adjustment of the device.

The width of the hook 2 along the window groove may, in a special case, be greater than shown if it is found desirable to provide for ventilation of the interior of the automobile during hot weather, for instance, while the owner is shopping or at lunch. Such ventilation is necessary where a pet is to remain in the automobile. In this case, the exemplification of FIG. 3 is preferred because the adjusting screws 4' will be far below the edges of the slightly opened window, and the window crank must be blocked by baggage in the automobile, or by other means. The extra length along the window groove prevents removal of the device by tilting it, and requires the screws 4 to be loosened.

While this protective device is primarily for use when an automobile is parked unattended and unwatched, it may, in some instances, be used when the automobile is occupied. In a four-door automobile, the rear doors may be secured by use of the devices at the start of a trip and the devices need not be removed until the end of the trip. The device would not ordinarily be in place on the front door of an automobile in use, but may be, of course, in such cases as a lady driving at night. From the inside, the device may be removed quickly at need by lowering the window, but access to the automobile from the outside will -be prevented and, even if the window is struck repeated blows, it will still prevent the removal of the device due to the shatterproof glass.

Having now described the means by which the objects of this invention are obtained, I claim:

1. An antipilfering device for a glass windowed automobile door of the type having a button inside the glass that must be raised to unlock the door comprising a body portion, a generally cylindrical portion at the lower end of said body portion to enclose said button and a hook at the top end of said device to be placed in the glass receiving groove of the top of the automobile door and to receive therein the top edge of said glass window when said generally cylindrical portion encloses said button.

2. The antipilfering device of claim 1 in which the length of said device from said generally cylindrical portion to said hook is adjustable whereby said device can be adjusted for use on automobiles of different makes.

3. The antipilfering device of claim 1 in which said body is of tubing the lower end of which provides said generally cylindrical portion, and said hook is secured to its upper end.

4. The antipilfering device of claim 3 in which said body portion is formed of two pieces of tubing one adjustably telescoped within the other, and securing'means to hold said telescoped tubing pieces in an adjusted position.

5. The antipilfering device of claim 1 in which said body portion is a metal rod having its lower end provided with screw threads and said generally cylindrical portion is threaded to said screw threads of said body portion to provide for adjustment of the length of the device to adapt it for use on different makes of automobiles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 2,793,064 5/1957 Budoif 292 2ss 3,502,369 3/1970 Trammell 296-146 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner 5 R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

70181, Dig 58; 29Z-288, 336.3 

